Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Creme Vichyssoise Glacée
(Potato and leek soup)

Hey there. I am Danielle. I have always had a passion for cooking, even though it's waxed and waned over the years. When I got married, I couldn't even cook chicken. I remember, because the first meal I made as a married woman was baked chicken, and I remember Shane looked at me and politely smiled and said "Wow, Dan...this is, um...yeah. Thanks." Ever since then I realized, I need to learn to cook. And I did. And I loved it. I hope you'll like my blog. I assume you will, because I am freaking hilarious, and a classy broad. 

Moving on to the meal I made tonight. I was planning on making pork tenderloin. Then Shane asked for mashed potatoes. And I did the same thing I do every time Shane asked for mashed potatoes. I get the potatoes out and then say "Ah, Im making potato and leek soup! He'll forgive me." Which, he always does. Because potato and leek soup is amazing. 

Recipe:

3 large leeks
1 onion
1 stick butter
8 medium sized potatoes
Heavy cream
White Pepper
Salt
Chicken Stock


This is a very inexpensive meal. Sounds fancy, but it's not. This is peasant food back in France in the day. I read somewhere that King Louis XV invented the cold version of this soup, but I cannot be certain of that. It really made a comeback in New York in the 1950's, where Luis Diat of the Ritz Carlton put it on his menu, since his mother and grandmother used to make it for him. He used to add cold milk to cool it (citation). This soup is MEANT to be eaten cold, but I reallllly like it better hot. In the fall. With the windows open.
Okay. I want to share my love of leeks. I LOVE LEEKS. You have no idea. Every time I smell one, its the best smell ever. They smell so earthy and delicious. They remind me of how amazing the world is, the world gave me leeks! They're that good. I shit you not. 
The first time I made this was after I read Julie and Julia. I was at my first house and Lily was a little baby. After making it, I said to myself "Holy guacamole. This is the best thing I have ever eaten."
Let me show you how to do this.




Take your onion and peel it, and slice it long ways. You'll need a big enough pot ( this recipe is quite large, I like to freeze the leftovers for fall days) and add your stick ( A STICK!)  of butter. Let the butter melt down, and add your onion.


Leeks. My favorite! I love leeks but they are difficult buttheads sometimes. Go ahead and chop the top green part off and discard. We don't need that.


Got rid of the green part? Good! Now, lets cut this leek down the middle. ( Do all three like this!) Cut the root off, and then take the leek and rinse it well under the sink. Leeks collect dirt in the layer, and you need to make sure you thoroughly rinse it. Now, once it's clean, dice it up. Add it to the pot of butter & onions, and cook them until they are nice and soft and all you can smell is delicious buttery leeks.


In the meantime, wash your potatoes well. Peel them nicely. When I peel potatoes I am like a mad woman. There are potato peels everywhere, except the garbage can. Usually in my hair, too. Although, thats besides the point. Moving on, after they are peeled, wash them again so all the dirt is removed. Get your cutting board out again, and slice them thinly. 


Throw them in the pot as well. Cover with chicken stock. Let it simmer until the potatoes are soft and falling apart.

Done with that? Good, lets move on. Get your blender out!

Okay. Scoop in batched into your blender and blend. You want this soup as smooth as it can be. Avoid and lumps or pieces of leek. Smooth it!


Okay, at this point you're probably thinking "Did I just spend this long making mashed potatoes?" No. You didn't. Stay with me, people.

Let your soup COOL DOWN before you add the milk. Thats important. I just stuck mine in the fridge for 10 minutes. Do not add milk or cream until it is cooled.


Add this to taste. Just a word of warning. The first time I ever used White pepper I was taken aback. I was afraid to use. To me, it smells like a petting zoo. Do not be alarmed. It is important to use this, so do not skip it. Also, I like to add a bit more butter to the pot at this point. Add the milk.

You're done! Enjoy, dearies. 


-Danielle.

5 comments:

  1. Fun! I love finding new recipes! Looking forward to reading more!

    Steph

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  2. I LOVE it, Dan Dan! You crack me up and make me hungry.

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  3. Love it! I'm trying to find my favorite leek recipe right now, but it's not online. I'll have to share it with you when I get home.

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  4. MmMmM this sounds sooo delicious! I usually prefer chunky soup but I'm going to have to give this a go

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